It All Started With A Simple Bet
by Willows Grace
Summary: Ginny makes a bet that she can get Harry to go to the Halloween Ball with her. But what happens when things become harder then they should be?
1. Where It All Began

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns everything except the plot. That belongs to Lady Idhril. The words I believe are mine.

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"Hey Hermione have I missed it?" Ginny asked as she sat down between Hermione Granger and Colin Creevy. 

"Where have you been?" Ron hissed

"No you came just in time, here are the first years now." Hermione responded ignoring Ron.

The first years entered the Great Hall with frantic looks on their faces. Once the shuffling of students died down to questioning whispers, Professor McGonagall sat the Sorting Hat on its rightful stool and everyone turned to listen.

"_Ah, here we gather once again,  
__To another year of learning,  
__However this day brings a new,  
__A time we all been yearning…_

_'Each house will choose a partner'_  
_Said Slytherin to Gryffindor  
__'And we'll dance the night away'  
__Said Hufflepuff to Ravenclaw_

_So the houses got together,  
__Dressed from head to toe.  
__No one knew who the other,  
__As they danced with friend and foe…_

_Nothing is as timeless,  
__As this Hogwarts extensive contest,  
__Now I'll get inside your head,  
__To find which house will suit you best._

_The bold and the daring,  
__Belong in Gryffindor.  
__Where the smart and the witty,  
__Surely go to Ravenclaw._

_For the shrewd and the cunning,  
__Slytherin is the purest,  
__Hufflepuff she takes the lot,  
__Whose hardworking is surest_

_Place me on your head  
__By no means be afraid  
__Let the sorting now begin  
__Not the least bit delayed."_

Applause took over the hall. One by one the first years got sorted into their houses. "What do you think the Sorting Hat meant when he said 'as they danced with friend and foe?" Colin asked Ginny, who was applauding for a new Gryffindor. "He is talking about the Halloween Ball, can you believe how lucky we are! It only occurs every ten years!" Hermione jumped as Ginny turned to her. "Oh it sounds so exciting! What happens?"

"Well we have to choose a partner and get dressed up, sort of like muggle Halloween. The contest is held in the Great Hall, where we literary dance the night away. It is all explained in Hogwarts A History."

"She seriously needs to get a new book." Ron murmured to Harry.

"Who are you two going to go with," asked Hermione staring at Ron and Harry across from her. "Only one of you will be lucky enough to dance with me." Hermione and Ginny laughed watching their scared facial expressions.

"I think I have some one else in mind," answered Ron nervously.

Before Hermione could answer back Dumbledore stood up from his seat, raised his arms in the air and said, "eat" before sitting back down again. Food appeared on the tables while the first years looked bug eyed and amazed. Until Nearly Headless Nick swooped by the table to scare them, also startling everyone else at the table that wasn't paying attention.

Harry turned to Ron who was stuffing his mouth with food. "Who else did you have in mind?" He asked.

"Num ion." Ron replied with a mouth full of food before he swallowed. "There is no way Hermione's going to get me to dance!"

"And why not!" Hermione bellowed making the whole table silent. When the clattering of forks and knives risen back up again she continued "Why wouldn't you go to the dance with me?"

"It's not that I don't want to go with you, Hermione. I just don't know how to dance."

"Well then, that settles it."

"Good." Ron said happily.

"I will just have to teach you how to dance." Hermione said smiling.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his two best friends. He watched as Ron's face turned from hopeful to miserable. "Why don't you just give in and ask her." Harry whispered to Ron. Who by now, was just staring at his plate.

At the same time Colin poked Ginny on the shoulder getting her to turn back around. "Who are you going to go with?" he asked.

"Um, I uh haven't thought about it. I guess I'll ask Dean if he hasn't found some one else yet." Ginny said shrugging off the idea. She didn't really think about it but was now wondering why he asked. With a puzzled look on her face she watched Colin sink into the chair. "Why do you ask?"

"I guess… I thought… since you have a big crush on Harry Potter you would… uh ask him to go with you." Colin said now worried by the look on Ginny's Face.

Her face now turning a beat red similar to Ron's looked Colin dead in the eye, "I do not like Harry Potter no more then just a friend," she said through gritting teeth so only he could hear.

This scared him. He knew all too well what a red faced Weasley could do. "Oh well, I guess Harry wouldn't go with you anyway." Now looking back, this was the wrong thing to say for the goal he was trying to achieve.

"What do you mean by that?" He has no right to say something like that! What does he know! I could go with Harry to the ball, we're friends and I could ask him to go with me as my friend. She was sure of it. "I bet I could get Harry to go with me before you could get anyone to go with you!" She said matter-of-factly.

"Your on!" There was no way she would get _the Harry Potter_ to go with her, she is just Ron's little sister to him. Harry is only nice to her so he doesn't make Ron feel bad that she is tagging around. Colin now feeling a bit ahead of him self smiled "when I win you have to go to the dance with me!"

"And when I win you have to go to the dance in a dress!" Ginny watch as the smile on Colin's face now turned to a slight frown. She had this in the bag. No one would go to the dance with Colin Creevy and his silly little camera. But just in some slight case there is some one out there she turned back to Hermione.

"Hermione, I'm going to need your help."

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**A/N:** I want to thank Lady Idhril for letting me use her "plot bunny." For helping me with my silly grammar mistakes and Harry Potter history, I couldn't of done it with out you! If any one else happens to notice any grammatical errors please feel free to tell me, I also ask you to show me where this mistake is then just replying that I have one. Thank you. 


	2. Simple Piece Of Cake

**Disclaimer:** JK Rowling owns everything except the plot. That belongs to Lady Idhril. The words I believe are mine.

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**Chapter 2  
Simple Piece Of Cake**

Apparently what the Sorting Hat meant about "danced with friend and foe" did have to do with the Hogwarts Halloween Ball. At the end of the feast Dumbledore gave his usual speech about the Forbidden Forest with a bit of added information on the following ball.

Ron was such in a stupor that he didn't hear much of Dumbledore's speech. As he and the rest of the Gryffindors were walking back to the tower he looked to Harry. "What does he mean the 6th years _have_ to compete?"

"Supposedly we have a class just to learn the dance." Harry knew Ron wasn't too happy about having to dance with Hermione.

"WHAT?" Ron's face couldn't get any redder, to Harry it now seemed to be a dark shade of purple. Ron didn't have a clue as to what was going on. It was one thing to dance with Hermione and another to dance in front of an entire class. They would laugh him right out of Hogwarts! "OUCH!" Ron tumbled backwards. He walked into a knight's steal armor and if it wasn't for Harry he would of fell right on his butt.

"Watch where you're going!" The armor yelled.

"Who said that?" Ron shot back, looking around. Which only made him dizzier and harder for Harry to hold up. He rubbed his forehead not knowing why it hurt so much.

"Never mind that, lets just get out of here." Harry said trying to get Ron back on his feet.

The armor watched in disgust as the one boy tried to help the other walk. "Pathetic." He said before standing back in his just position.

Hermione and Ginny were following a few steps behind Harry and Ron. Ignoring how Harry could use their help with Ron. "Serves him right... What were you saying before that you needed my help with?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Oh well I was going to ask you to help me with a little bet I made." Ginny didn't know how to ask Hermione's help since it wasn't like her to make bets. Unless of course it was with her brothers to prove them wrong, but other then that this was unusual for her.

"What sort of bet?" Hermione asked curiously.

Ginny stopped walking and turned to Hermione. The only idea Ginny had was to just tell her and tell her fast. "I made a bet with Colin Creevy that I could go to the Halloween Ball with Harry other wise I would have to go with him."

"YOU WHAT?"

"He said Harry wouldn't go to the dance with me!" Ginny whispered.

"I wouldn't either if your going to make bets about it!" Hermione screamed.

"It's the principle of the thing! How dare Colin Creevy say that about ME!"

"You could really hurt _him_ doing this!"

"I don't…"

"Hey I don't know what you two are arguing about but can you finish it when we get to the tower. I don't know how much Ron can take." Harry interrupted Ginny.

"Oh just take him to Madam Pomfrey's, he needs a good head examination anyway. While you're at it take her with you too!" Hermione hissed walking ahead.

"I don knee exam you knee exam ink I can ance HA!" Ron tried to speak.

Ginny rolled her eyes and followed Hermione. When she reached Harry she grabbed Ron's other arm and together they dragged the mumbling Ron back to the tower.

* * *

"Thanks Ginny. I think I can handle him from here." Harry said as they entered the common room. Ron seemed to come back a little. Although he still didn't stop mumbling, it was a lot clearer to understand now. It also helped that Ron could stand on his own. Harry rapped his arm around his best friend just incase and they walked together up to bed.

"I'm not going to dance. She can't make me dance. Harry I don't want to dance."

"I know Ron, I know."

Finally sitting down on his bed Ron asked, "What did I hit my head on?" He rubbed the slight bump on his head.

"You walked into a steal axe." Harry said. Too tired to explain, he laid down in his own bed hoping Ron would do the same.

"A WHAT? Ouch!" Must not yell Ron thought to himself. Then whispered, "what were you doing letting me walk into an axe?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "I don't remember." He was staring at some one but didn't remember who exactly. There was a group of girls laughing, he only knew one of them but couldn't place where he knew her. Shaking his head out of a trance he turned back to Ron, "I guess I have to watch out for axes too now."

"Hey you never know he-who-must-not-be-named might use a axe against you." Ron slowly laid down on his bed making sure not to hit his head again.

Harry didn't want to think about anything bad right now. Looking for a lighter topic he thought about the dance. "Who should I ask to go to the ball with me?"

"You can take Hermione. She'd be better off with you anyway."

"What are you talking about, anyway you two are going together." Harry asked confused.

"That's what she thinks." Ron really did not want to dance. "There is no way Dumbledore will get me to dance. And besides, the smartest witch and greatest wizard make for a better pair. Not me."

"No way. Hermione would never want to go with me." Harry was sure of it.

* * *

"How could you make such a bet?" Hermione wasn't happy with Ginny. "Do you know you could hurt Harry's feelings?"

"Hermione I don't mean to hurt anyone! It's just… I couldn't let Colin get to me like that and win."

"He already has won. He has gotten to _you_ because _you_ agreed on the bet."

Ginny sighed, Hermione was right. "Ok, fine. But will you still help me?"

"Yes of course. Anyway this should be a piece of cake."

"A piece of cake?"

"It's a muggle saying. It means it will be easy."

"How is a piece of cake easy? Whenever mom tries to make cake she can't. Especially with Fred and George hanging around the kitchen making a racket. Even with a silencing charm it always comes out flat and if it does come out ok my brothers eat it all. It's never _easy_ to get a piece of cake at my house!" Ginny said worried.

"Ginny it's just a saying! Oh never mind, all we have to worry about is how to tell Harry. I mean he probably isn't going to ask any one else and you two can go as friends."

"Yeah I could tell him the whole story and he wouldn't mind one bit! I'm sure he would get a good laugh seeing Colin Creevy in a dress!" Ginny smiled. With that the two girls went up to bed ready to deal with it in the morning.

* * *

"Wake up Ron!" Hermione shouted. This also woke up Harry who wasn't too pleased about the idea.

"Not so loud. My head still feels like a troll sat on it." Ron said half asleep. He swung his legs off the bed and sat up. He looked up to see Harry rubbing his eyes and doing the same thing. "Hermione why so early? We don't come busting into your dormitory and waking you up."

"That's because you two can't figure out how." Hermione replied.

"I'll think of something if you keep this up all year." Harry finally spoke. He couldn't see and realized he lost his glasses some where on the bed while sleeping. Searching for them it was Ron's turn to speak.

"Why did you wake us up any how?"

"Oh, honestly! Don't you two listen? Dumbledore is having a Prefects meeting after breakfast today about the ball. He only announced it yesterday at dinner while you two were both staring into outer space! I don't want to be late on account of you two boys!" With that Hermione turned around and marched her self right out of their room, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Women." Ron laughed. Hermione is so cute when she is mad. "Harry, what _did_ Dumbledore say yesterday during his speech?" Ron asked, as they both got dressed.

"The usual, the forest is off limits, we can't do spells in the hall way…"

"No I mean about the ball… what did Dumbledore say about the ball?"

"Oh uh… just that we have to take classes for it I think." What _did_ Dumbledore say? It was apparent Harry had also missed parts of his speech according to Hermione.

"This is just great!"

"What?"

"Now I'm going to go into the meeting clueless! All because you don't remember!"

"You could of listened yourself, you know! Then you wouldn't be in this mess."

"You know how Hermione gets to me! How was I supposed to pay attention with her wanting to teach me how to dance!"

"Big deal. Hermione knows everything, all you have to do is keep silent."

"Lets GO!" Hermione's voice could be heard throughout the Gryffindor tower. While some awoke by it like Harry and Ron, others merely turned in their sleep.

* * *

"They are such little boys." Hermione rushed off to the great hall with Ginny running behind her.

"Hey Hermione… when should I uh, ask Harry about the dance?"

"I would just get it over with. Tell him about it today at breakfast."

"Hey wait up!" Ron shouted down the hall from Hermione and Ginny.

Hermione stopped walking almost causing Ginny to run straight into her.

"Honestly, you wake me up and go running off!" Ron said in a huff.

Still mad at Ron, Hermione turned around on her heels, placed her hands on her hips and glared at him coming towards her. "Well tell me why I should wait."

"Oh you are not still going on about the dance are you!"

"And what if I am?"

"Why don't you find some one else?" Ron said, finally caught up to them. "Take Harry!"

"What if I do?"

"Then that settles it." Ron said looking back at Hermione. "You are going with Harry."

"Oh just forget it then!" Hermione said, stomping off again to breakfast.

* * *

Ron, Hermione and Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table. Both Hermione and Ron were eating fast and staring into their plates.

"Hermione what happened to the bet I made. I'm supposed to go with Harry!" Ginny whispered.

"I'm not actually going to go with Harry. I just wanted to get Ron mad."

"Well a lot that did, he thinks you _are_ going to go with Harry. You just made him happy!"

"Don't worry, all you have to do is ask Harry today before Ron gets back to him about me."

"How am I supposed to do that? Their inseparable!"

"Here comes Harry now, I'll leave with Ron for the meeting. Make sure to tell him."

"Okay."

"Come on lets GO! We are going to be late!" Hermione screamed at Ron.

"All right. All right!" Ron said taking his last bite of food.

"Where are you two going?" Harry asked sitting down across from Ginny.

"To the meeting, how many times have I got to tell you?" Hermione puffed.

Hermione and Ron left the Great Hall. Leaving Harry, Ginny and a few other Gryffindors at the table.

"Morning Harry." Ginny said shyly.

"Morning." Harry replied, piling food onto his plate. "So are they at it again?"

"Yeah. You would think their dating or something."

"Ron really doesn't want to dance."

"I know why, I've seen him dance." Ginny and Harry both laughed. "So who are you going with?"

"Oh, uh…"

"Yes Harry who are you going to take?" Colin interrupted Harry.

"I don't know… who are you two going with?" Harry asked still eating.

"Well I was going to…" Ginny said before Colin jumped in.

"I was just about to ask Ginny, what do you say Gin" Colin smiled. Ginny still hasn't asked Harry which means he won. Ginny was going to go to the dance with him whether she liked it or not. All he had to do was play like they were going together so Harry would look to go with some one else.

"Don't call me that!"

"So that settles it, we are going together."

"Wait no…"

"That's great. Listen I have to go catch some one before my first class. Talk to you later." Harry jumped out of the chair and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Harry WAIT!" This isn't happening Ginny thought.

"Bye!"

"YOU CHEATED!"

"No I didn't, you and I never agreed on any set rules." Colin won. He knew it by the look on Ginny's face. It was priceless.

"You have got to be kidding to think that I would dance with you!"

"Well Harry thinks so."

"ARG!" Ginny stormed out of the Great Hall hoping to find Harry. But he was nowhere to be found. If she kept looking she would have been late to class and didn't want to chance it with Professor McGonagall. She would just have to tell Hermione what happened before Ron talked with Harry. Before Harry asked another girl. Mostly before Colin started telling more people he was going with her to the dance. This definitely wasn't going to be no piece of pie, or was it cake? Ginny didn't care. All she wanted right now was to go to the dance with Harry no matter what it took!

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**A/N: **I want to thank all those who did review, Jasmine-enimsaJ, kissmybootty, Lady Idhril, old-crow, HersheysKisses11 andTrish Shakespeare. The first six to read and review my story and I thankyou. I hope I will get around to do the same honor for you.


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